English 290F - Winter, 2011

Seminar in Creative Writing of Fiction

Class Information

Instructor: Corin, Lucy
Time: R 12:10-3:00
Location: 308 Voorhies

Description

This is a fiction writing workshop. It's pretty much all workshop all the time with occasional additional readings assigned in relation to things that come up in class. Expect to have two or three workshops and to present around 40-50 pages of fiction in "ready for workshop" shape, that is: as done as you know how to make it on your own but not so done that you're finished thinking about it. Bring pieces you are willing and ready to revise. You are expected to show revision work on some but not all your pieces by the end of the quarter.

My approach privileges intensity and awareness of language textures and narrative shape, and asks each student to make each new work press the boundaries (intellectual, emotional, formal) of previous work. While making an immaculate-feeling work of art is excellent, and we will work toward making your stories as beautiful as they can be, and I expect to see significantly revised work by the end of the quarter, I am less interested in you making "publishable" pieces than I am in you challenging yourself artistically.

Please contact me asap if you are planning to work on longer prose (novel or novella) during this course so that we can plan an appropriate method for workshop.

This quarter author Daniel Handler is speaking at the Mondavi and I want you to read Adverbs and go to the event (you'll get cheap tickets).

Grading

Workshop participation, oral and written, and quality of creative work.

Texts

Adverbs, Daniel Handler